College theatre team casts ‘Live Bait’

HUNTINGTON, IN JULY 11, 1996 --- The Huntington College student theatre group "Live Bait" opens this week at Epworth Forest Conference Center in North Webster, Indiana. The comedy improvisational troupe will perform for participants of the United Methodist Church's 1996 Senior High Institute through July 27.

The Huntington College students will present short sketches twice a day supporting each keynote speaker's theme. In addition, the college team will teach afternoon workshops in basic acting technique and improvisation. Every Tuesday evening, the group will present a Chicago-style comedy improv performance.

"Live Bait" takes its name from the words of Jesus Christ, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." The students aim to use their talents to communicate timeless truths and help teens discover Biblical solutions to the real issues of life.

The Huntington College cast includes:

• Jared Friesen, a junior psychology major from Huntington, Indiana. A veteran of Huntington College Theatre, Friesen has performed in The Dining Room and Midsummer Night's Dream.
• Dawn Davis, a junior theatre major from Wawaka, Indiana. Davis has performed in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and served as stage manager for Godspell.
• Hersel Cremeans, a sophomore music major from Beaver Falls, Pennsyvlania. Cremeans was recently seen in the mainstage production of Godspell at the Merillat Centre for the Arts.
• Joel Ward, a sophomore from Darlington, Pennsylvania. Ward worked all last year in the Huntington College Theatre scene shop and is making his stage debut this summer with "Live Bait."
• Kelly Steele, a sophomore psychology major from Hillsdale, Michigan. Steele served as stage manager for the recent Huntington College production of The Dining Room. She, too, makes her on-stage debut with "Live Bait" this summer.
• Raeann Johnson, a junior English major from Monroeville, Indiana. No stranger to the footlights, Johnson has had leading roles in Huntington College Theatre productions of The Crucible, Midsummer Night's Dream, and Steel Magnolias.

"Live Bait" was cast and created by Dr. Don Rainbow, a veteran of traveling theatre. He has toured with similar shows for ten years, including three tours through Europe and a USO sponsored tour of the Mediterranean. Rainbow earned his BA, MA, and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. His career has included over twenty years in education, theatre, and ministry. Rainbow's experience and creativity always bring capacity audiences to his home theatre, the Merillat Centre for the Arts on the campus of Huntington College.

The Huntington College professor of theatre arts is also the creator of "Doc Rainbow's Colorful All-Star Revue," a summer touring troupe of Huntington College students. The All-Star Revue is now in its third season, having performed before combined audiences of 25,000 in 100 locations during the last two years. This season they return to venues in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. The troupe will then continue on to perform in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Maine and Ontario.

Like the All-Star Revue, "Live Bait" is an extension of the outreach ministry Rainbow hopes to create through the theatre arts department at Huntington College. Theatre is one of nearly 50 academic concentrations available from the four-year Christian liberal arts school. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington College is located in Huntington, Indiana.